Pickell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The annals of Scottish history reveal that Pickell was first used as a name by ancestors of the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland. The Pickell family lived in Picardy, a region of northern France. Bearers of the name made their way from Picardy and were "pike men" to England and Scotland. 1 2

Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the word "pic" or "pick," which is a Teutonic word for "hard" or "brave." 3

Not all of the family emigrated to ancient England and Scotland as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae listed Ralph, Engeram, Richard, Peter, Geoffry and Walter Picard in Normandy 1180-95. 4

"There is a Robert Pichard of about the same date to be found in the Rotuli Curiæ Regis, and the family is said to have been settled in Herefordshire during the preceding century. “That part of Ocle called Ocle Pichard derived its additional name from a family holding it soon after the Norman Conquest. Roger Pichard is mentioned in the Book of Fees made in the reign of Henry III. as holding of the honour of Webbeley." 5

Early Origins of the Pickell family

The surname Pickell was first found in Moray, where one of the first records of the family was Hugh Picard, who was a canon of Moray in 1266. A few years later, Stephen Pykard, was a knight of Gilbert de Umfraville, earl of Angus in 1279 and later still, John Pikard was juror on an inquest held at St. Andrews in 1302. Adam le Pycard was a Scottish prisoner of war from Stirling confined in Restormel Castle in 1305. Sir Patrick Picarde was rector of Torry in 1350. 6

Further to the south, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed: Alan Pichard in Yorkshire; Stephen Picard in Northumberland; Nicholas Pichard, in Shropshire; and Roger Pichard in Cambridgeshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Emma Picard and Ricardus Picard as both holding lands there at that time. 7

"Miles Picard was uninterruptedly Sheriff of Herefordshire from 1300 to 1306, and twice served as knight of the shire. It was he who, according to Nash, gave its name to Sapy-Pychard in Worcestershire, which he held of Stuteville. Roger Picard, probably his son, was Sheriff in 1318 and 1327, and must have been the last of the name at Ode Pychard, where Peter de Clavenhogh (Clanowe), who succeeded him, had a grant of free warren in 1334. Another Picard served as Sheriff in 1348 and 1349; and in 1356 Sir Henry Picard, Vintner and Lord Mayor of London, gave a great banquet in honour of the battle of Poitiers, at which both the Black Prince and his Royal captive were present. At a second and still more august entertainment, of even greater splendour, he feasted four crowned heads his own Sovereign, and the Kings of France, Scotland, and Cyprus, with a great assemblage of the nobles of the realm. ' And after,' says Stowe, ' the said Henry Picard kept his hall against all comers whosoever that were willing to play at dice and hazard.' " 5

Early History of the Pickell family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pickell research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1150, 1350, 1430, 1436 and 1780 are included under the topic Early Pickell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pickell Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries appeared in the last few hundred years, scribes spelled according to sound. spelling variations are common among Scottish names. Pickell has been spelled Pickard, Picard and others.

Early Notables of the Pickell family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pickell Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pickell Ranking

In the United States, the name Pickell is the 12,983^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 8

Pickell migration to the United States +

In those unstable times, many had no choice but to leave their beloved homelands. Sickness and poverty hounded travelers to North America, but those who made it were welcomed with land and opportunity. These settlers gave the young nations of Canada and the United States a strong backbone as they stood up for their beliefs as United Empire Loyalists and in the American War of Independence. In this century, the ancestors of these brave Scots have begun to recover their illustrious heritage through Clan societies and other heritage organizations. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Scottish settlers bearing the name Pickell:

Pickell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Pickell, who arrived in America in 1777-1783 9

Pickell migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pickell Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Christopher Pickell U.E. (b. 1766) from New York, USA who settled in Canada c. 1784 son of John Pickell Sr. 10
Mr. Jacob Pickell U.E. (b. 1757) from New York, USA who settled in Canada c. 1784 son of John Pickell Sr. 10
Mr. John Pickell Sr., U.E. from New York, USA who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 he served in the Royal Regiment of New York, father of 5 10
Mr. John Pickell Jr., U.E. (b. 1759) from New York, USA who settled in Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario c. 1784 son of John Pickell Sr., he served in the King's Rangers 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Pickell (post 1700) +

John Pickell, American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates from Allegany County, 1842

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X